Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The complex multi-sectoral impacts of drought : Evidence from a mountainous basin in the Central Spanish Pyrenees

Vicente-Serrano, S. M. ; Peña-Angulo, D. ; Murphy, C ; López-Moreno, J. I. ; Tomas-Burguera, M. ; Domínguez-Castro, F. ; Tian, Feng LU ; Eklundh, Lars LU orcid ; Cai, Zhanzhang LU and Alvarez-Farizo, B. , et al. (2021) In Science of the Total Environment 769.
Abstract
We analyzed the impacts of drought severity on a variety of sectors in a topographically complex basin (the upper Aragón basin 2181 km2) in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Using diverse data sources including meteorological and hydrological observations, remote sensing and tree rings, we analyze the possible hydrological implications of drought occurrence and severity on water availability in various sectors, including downstream impacts on irrigation water supply for crop production. Results suggest varying responses in forest activity, secondary growth, plant phenology, and crop yield to drought impacts. Specifically, meteorological droughts have distinct impacts downstream, mainly due to water partitioning between streamflow and... (More)
We analyzed the impacts of drought severity on a variety of sectors in a topographically complex basin (the upper Aragón basin 2181 km2) in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Using diverse data sources including meteorological and hydrological observations, remote sensing and tree rings, we analyze the possible hydrological implications of drought occurrence and severity on water availability in various sectors, including downstream impacts on irrigation water supply for crop production. Results suggest varying responses in forest activity, secondary growth, plant phenology, and crop yield to drought impacts. Specifically, meteorological droughts have distinct impacts downstream, mainly due to water partitioning between streamflow and irrigation channels that transport water to crop producing areas. This implies that drought severity can extend beyond the physical boundaries of the basin, with impacts on crop productivity. This complex response to drought impacts makes it difficult to develop objective basin-scale operational definitions for monitoring drought severity. Moreover, given the high spatial variability in responses to drought across sectors, it is difficult to establish reliable drought thresholds from indices that are relevant across all socio-economic sectors. The anthropogenic impacts (e.g. water regulation projects, ecosystem services, land cover and land use changes) pose further challenges to assessing the response of different systems to drought severity. This study stresses the need to consider the seasonality of drought impacts and appropriate drought time scales to adequately assess and understand their complexity. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Crop yield, Dendroecology, Drought indices, Enhanced vegetation index, Irrigated lands, Phenology, Vegetation activity
in
Science of the Total Environment
volume
769
article number
144702
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85099818803
  • pmid:33736257
ISSN
0048-9697
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144702
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cbb904b4-ee0e-4d22-9df8-a8a24c2feb43
date added to LUP
2021-11-23 11:17:10
date last changed
2023-09-08 16:02:25
@article{cbb904b4-ee0e-4d22-9df8-a8a24c2feb43,
  abstract     = {{We analyzed the impacts of drought severity on a variety of sectors in a topographically complex basin (the upper Aragón basin 2181 km2) in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Using diverse data sources including meteorological and hydrological observations, remote sensing and tree rings, we analyze the possible hydrological implications of drought occurrence and severity on water availability in various sectors, including downstream impacts on irrigation water supply for crop production. Results suggest varying responses in forest activity, secondary growth, plant phenology, and crop yield to drought impacts. Specifically, meteorological droughts have distinct impacts downstream, mainly due to water partitioning between streamflow and irrigation channels that transport water to crop producing areas. This implies that drought severity can extend beyond the physical boundaries of the basin, with impacts on crop productivity. This complex response to drought impacts makes it difficult to develop objective basin-scale operational definitions for monitoring drought severity. Moreover, given the high spatial variability in responses to drought across sectors, it is difficult to establish reliable drought thresholds from indices that are relevant across all socio-economic sectors. The anthropogenic impacts (e.g. water regulation projects, ecosystem services, land cover and land use changes) pose further challenges to assessing the response of different systems to drought severity. This study stresses the need to consider the seasonality of drought impacts and appropriate drought time scales to adequately assess and understand their complexity.}},
  author       = {{Vicente-Serrano, S. M. and Peña-Angulo, D. and Murphy, C and López-Moreno, J. I. and Tomas-Burguera, M. and Domínguez-Castro, F. and Tian, Feng and Eklundh, Lars and Cai, Zhanzhang and Alvarez-Farizo, B. and Noguera, I. and Camarero, J.J. and Sánchez-Salguero, R. and Gazol, A. and S., Grainger and Conradt, T. and Boincean, B. and El Kenawy, A.}},
  issn         = {{0048-9697}},
  keywords     = {{Crop yield; Dendroecology; Drought indices; Enhanced vegetation index; Irrigated lands; Phenology; Vegetation activity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Science of the Total Environment}},
  title        = {{The complex multi-sectoral impacts of drought : Evidence from a mountainous basin in the Central Spanish Pyrenees}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144702}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144702}},
  volume       = {{769}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}